Paper approved May 2019 by the faculty of UMKC in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Nursing PracticeApproved May 2019 by the faculty of UMKC in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing PracticeDespite best practice guidelines, Somali refugee women access breast and cervical cancer
screenings at a significantly lower rate than other women in the United States. This doctoral
nursing project evaluated the effectiveness of an evidence-based community education program
to increase breast and cervical cancer screenings among Somali refugee women. This pilot quasi
experimental project incorporated culturally tailored education, community health workers, and
facilitated screening access in a community setting with the goal of increasing adherence to
current cancer screening guidelines in collaboration with a free community health clinic. Twenty
Somali women aged 21-74 attended three educational sessions, and 11 attendees consented to
provide demographic data, history of Pap testing and/or mammography screening, and intention
to receive screening if under or never screened. Primary outcomes included receipt of
mammography or Papanicolau testing, and a secondary outcome included intention to receive
screening. There was no significant difference pre- and post-intervention for either screening
uptake or intention to receive screening. Additionally, the student investigator trained three
Somali community health workers to facilitate the education program and collected their written
feedback following project completion. This project sought to improve breast and cervical cancer
screening adherence and reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in a Somali refugee population
in Kansas City, Missouri
